To facilitate the teaching of musical instruments of the keyboard type, such as pianos, organs, stringed instruments and the like; a number of expedients have been resorted to.
Thus, in one case, individual illuminating bulbs are located on the keyboard in positions relating to the individual keys. The control means for energizing selected bulbs in accordance with programming means reflecting a particular musical piece, exercise or the like, becomes quite involved requiring complex equipment. It follows that the association of such known teaching devices with a piano or the like is difficult, cumbersome, complex as to construction; requiring frequent maintenance, as well as entailing substantial expense.
Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide an improved teaching device for association with musical instruments of the keyboard or multistring type, where the elements thereof are small in number, of simple construction and easily associated with the musical instrument; and of relatively low cost.
Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the character described, which includes light emitting elements and light receiving elements of a number corresponding to the number of keys of a keyboard, together with a flexible optical light transmitting cable for the interconnecting each of the light receiving means with a corresponding light emitting means; a constance source of light being disposed adjacent the light receiving elements, with programming means located between the light source and the light receiving elements; the programming means being opaque but formed with light transmitting openings arranged in a predetermined pattern so as to activate predetermined light receiving elements and corresponding light emitting elements.
A further object of this invention is to provide a device of the character described, wherein the light emitting elements may be disposed on a base member which may be removably associated with a keyboard, or, may be permanently related to the keys of the keyboard.
Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the character described, wherein the control means may be contained in a compact housing while the indicating means may take a simple form which allows for a flexible optical connection between the control means and the indicating means
Still another object of this invention is to provide a device of the character described, wherein the light source is of constant illumination and intensity throughout the operation of the device, thereby eliminating switches and other control equipment; the light from such source being selectively transmitted to selected light emitting elements in a predetermined sequence and at very high speed.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide in a device of the character described, compact means for transmitting light to illuminate the light emitting means; such transmitting means comprising a flexible optical cable made up of separate constituent light transmitting elements, each such element being operative to optically connect a given light emitting element with a corresponding light receiving element.
Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a device of the character described, which lends itself to simple and speedy fabrication procedures; is made up of simple and inexpensive standard and readily available components; is economical to manufacture and therefore available at a relatively low cost to the user of the same.
Other objects of this invention are in part obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.